Peat digging or excavating machine.



No. 744,806. PATENTBD NOV. 24, 190-3.

- 0. SGHLI'GKEYSEN.

PEAT DIGGING 0R EXOAVATING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION II LED MAY 21 1903.-

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No. 744,805. PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903. G. SGHLIGKEYSEN.

PEAT DIGGING OR-EXGAVATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1903.

NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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of the chain.

JILOCllfiGCl forms of tools, which UNITED STATES latented N ovember 24, 11903.

PATENT @rrrcn.

PEAT DIGGING O R EXCAVATING lVIACl-HNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,805, dated November 24, 1903. Application filed May 2, 1903. Serial No. 156,396. (Nomodeh) To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL SoHLIoKEYsEN, a subject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, residing at No. 6 Friedrichstrasse, Steglitz, near Berlin,.in the Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Peat Digging or Excavating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for digging or excavating peat; and my improvements in this machine consist in certain coinbinations and arrangements of parts, as are fully described hereinafter.

In order to make my invention clearly understood, I refer to the accompanying drawin gs, in which similar characters denote similar parts throughout the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatical side View of my improved machine. Fig. 2 shows, on an enlarged scale, some portions of the tool-carryin g chain of the machine with the digging and excavating tools attached thereto, the latter being represented in section. Fig. 3 is a de tached sectional view of a complete digging and excavating tool with its adjacent portion Fig. 4 is a front view of the tool together with means for carrying the chain. Fig. 5 is a plan of said tool. Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on line 00 y of Fig. 1 seen in the direction from the left-hand lower corner of the sheet to the right-hand upper one. Fig. 7 shows three examples of slightlyare duly described hereinafter; and Fig. 8 shows a vertical section through the peat soil, the hatched part indicating the mass of peat cut off from the soil by the side knives 1 and the bottom knife 2, Fig. 8.

The hatched parts shown at the bottom of Fig. 2 indicate also loosened masses of peat.

A complete tool or a set of tools, forming what I call a complete tool, consists of two side knives 1, Figs. 3 to 5 a bottom knife 2, connecting the former attheir lower ends, a top plate 3, connected with the upper parts of the knives 1 by angle-irons 3, extending rearward of them, and a shovel 4:, located behind said plate The shovel 4 is held by angleirons 4L, having upwardly and horizontally extending lugs l by means of which the shovel is connected with the endless chain 6. The connecting-bolts 7 of the links of the latter project at the lugs 4 and take into holes of the same, there being two such bolts at each lug, so that the shovel remains always firmly connected with the chain irrespective of whether this latter moves in a straight line or describes an angle or a curve when moving over the guide rolls or wheels, keeping the several portions of the chain in their proper relative position. Also the connection of the knives 1 with the chain is effected by two bolts 5 on each side, and thus all that has been said in this respect with regard to the shovel l refers to the knives 1 and 2 also.

The relative position of the parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 of a complete tool changes when the tool moves over the aforementioned guide rollers or chains. More precisely, the position of the parts 1, 2, and 3 changes with respect to the part 4, and this change varies accord ing as the angle made by the respective portion of the chain is an obtuse or an acute one. The knives 1 and 2 on one side and the shovel 4 on the other side may be regarded in a sense as bits of a pair of tongs, because the port-ions of peat mass are held by and be tween said parts and because the distance between the knives and the shovel maybe increased and decreased. This becomes more obvious from Fig. 2, in which particular attention is invited to the tools passing just below and over the guide-wheels 9, 10, and 12. The arrows indicate the direction of movement.

First, the knives l and 2 cut into the soil so as to sever off a portion similar to that indicated at 13 in Figs. 2 and 8, and instantly thereafter the shovel 4 grasps that portion and takes it'with it, (compare Fig. 2,) slightly raising and compressing the peat at the same time. The peat is then transported into and upward within an oblique gutter or trough 16, Figs. 1 and 2, by means of which the peat is led away from the place of digging and, if desired, directlyinto a peat compressing and molding machinefor instance, such as shown at 30 to 15, Fig.1. The upper end of the gutter 16 has an aperture 16, through which the peat falls into a short auxiliary gutter l4, conducting the peat into the hopper 30 of the peat compressing and molding machine,

whereafter the cylinder 15 of the same converts the peat into a strip. \Vhen the mass of peat held between the bits 1, 2, and 4 of the tongs arrive over the apertures 16 it is just below the chain driving-wheels 12, around which the tongs now move. Owing thereto the bits of the tongs open and the plate 3 move relatively to the shovel 4 in such a way that the peat is thrown out of the gutter 16 through the aperture 16.

The gutter 16 is hinged at the point 29, Fig. 1, to a bracket 29, projecting upward in an oblique position from the hopper 30. The main part of the gutter is supported by a Windlass 25, adapted to be moved on curved rails 25, that form part of a circle of which a continuation of the vertical axis of the hopper (represented by the line 31 31) constitutes the center. The hopper 30 is surrounded by a bevel-wheel 27 and may be turned together with the same, which turning is effected by moving the Windlass 25 upon its rails, when the whole structure, carrying the chain, with its tools, will be correspondingly turned, so that another part of the soil is acted upon. The whole may, however, be moved also in a straight line upon the rails 25, so that again another part of the soil may be-acted upon. p

The bevel-wheel 27 serves for transmitting motion to the chain 6 from a motor (not shown) by means of a pulley 27 a and a gearing 27 The wheel 27 is driven by a bevelwheel forming part of said gearing and drives a bevel-wheel (shown in dotted lines behind the hopper 30, Fig. 1) connected with a chain-wheel driving another chain-wheel 28 by means of a chain 26. The wheel 28 is so constructed that it gears with one of the wheels 12 upon the shaft 12, Fig. 6.

There are besides the pair of chain-wheels 12 three more pairs 9 9, 10 10, and 11 11, which are held by a structure 17 18 19 20, consisting of iron bars hinged together, and to the gutter 16 in such a manner that they may be lowered from the position shown in full lines to that shown in dotted lines. The parts 19 and 20 of the structure are mere rods, but the parts 17 and 18 consist of angle-iron and are rigidly connected with each other. In other words, there is no hinge between them, so that the angle formed between and by said parts is constantly maintained.

The axle of the chain-wheels 11 has a third chain-wheel, over which passes a chain 21, held by a chain-wheel 22, which in its turn is supported by a stationary bar 23. One end of said chain is fixed to a connecting-piece between the bar 23 and another stationary bar 24:, whereas the other end of the chain is connected with the Windlass 25, so that by this means the whole structure 17 18 19 20 may be lowered as the digging proceeds.

The groove formed by the knives 1 and 2 need not have necessarily the section indicated in Fig. 8. Instead of connecting two separate side knives 1 by one bottom knife 2 all three knives may consist of one piece, shaped according to the requirementfor instance,'in the manner shown in Fig. 7, in which 2, 2", and 2 indicate three different forms as examples.

Having now described my invention, what I desire to secure by a patent of the United States is- 1. In a digging and excavating machine, the combination, with an endless chain, and means for moving the same, of digging and excavating tools attached to said chain and consisting of knives arranged side by side, and a shovel located behind said knives.

2. In a digging and excavating machine,

the combination, with an endless chain, and means for moving the same, of digging and excavating tools attached to said chain and consisting of knives adapted to sever a portion of peat, and a shovel located behind and adapted to follow said knives.

3. In a peat digging and excavating machine, the combination,with an endless chain, and means for moving the same, of a plurality of digging and excavating tools attached to said chain, and consisting each of knives forming a cutting-frame, and of a shovel located behind said frame at some distance.

4. In a digging and excavating machine, the combination, with an endless chain, and means for moving the same, of digging and excavating tools consisting of knives arranged side by side and secured at a fixed angle to the chain, and a shovel located behind said knives and also attached to the chain in such manner as to maintain a fixed angle thereto.

5. In a digging and excavating machine,

the combination with an endless chain, and means for moving the same, of digging and excavating tools consisting of knives arranged to cut in different planes,and a shovel located behind said knives, both the shovel and the knives being secured to the chain and movable relative to each other.

6. In a digging and excavating machine, the combination, with an endless chain, and means for moving the same, of digging and excavating tools consisting of knives adapted to cut in different planes, a plate connected with the upper portion of said knives and extending in a direction substantially parallel to the chain, and a shovel located behind said knives and plate, the shovel and knives secured to the chain.

7. In a peat digging and excavating machine, the combination,with an endless chain, and means for moving the same, of a plurality of digging and excavating tools attached to said chain, and consisting each of knives forming a cutting-frame, of a shovel located behind said frame at some distance therefrom, and of a plate connected with the upper end of the said frame and extending in the direction of said shovel.

v 8. In a digging and excavating machine, the combination, with an endless chain, and means for moving the same, of a plurality of IIC IIE

digging and excavating tools consisting each of knives forming a cutting-frame, of a shovel located behind said cutting-frame, and of a plate fixed to the upper end of said frame and extending in a direction substantially parallel to said chain, the shovel and knives secured to the chain at a fixed angle.

9. In a peat digging and excavating machine, the co1nbination,with an endless chain, and means formoving the same, of a plurality of digging and excavating tools attached to said chain and consisting each of knives forming a cutting-frame, and a shovel located behind said frame at some distance therefrom; the links of the said chain being connected by bolts, and the connection of said tools with the chain being effected by at least two bolts upon each side.

10. In a digging and excavating machine, the combination, with an endless chain, and a plurality of wheels mounted upon a suitable framework and arranged to carry said chain, of knives secured to said chain at a fixed an gle thereto and adapted to separate a portion from the soil, shovels located behind the knives and secured at a fixed angle to the chain, a trough disposed below a portion of the framework and serving as a Way for the transportation of the excavated soil, and a discharge from said trough at a point adjacent to one of the wheels.

11. In a digging and excavating machine, the combination, with an endless chain, and a plurality of wheels mounted on a suitable framework and arranged to carry said chain,

of knives secured to said chain at a fixed angle thereto and adapted to cut the soil in different planes, shovels located behind the knives and secured at a fixed angle to the chain, a horizontal plate fixed to the knives and extending therefrom substantially parallel to the chain, a trough disposed below a portion of the framework and serving as a way for the transportation of the excavated soil, and a discharge-opening in said trough at a point adjacent to one of the corner-wheels.

12. In a digging and excavating machine, the combination, with an endless chain, and a plurality of Wheels mounted upon a suitable framework and arranged to carry said chain of knives secured to said chain at a fixed angle thereto and forming a cutting frame adapted to separate a portion from the soil, shovels located behind the knives and secured at a fixed angle to the chain, a horizontal plate fixed to the knives near the upper portion thereof and extending substantially at right angles thereto, a conveying-trough disposed below the chain and serving as a way for the tools in leaving the soil, a discharge-opening in said trough at a point adjacent to one of the corner-Wheels, means for raising and lowering said framework, and means for moving the same laterally.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two Witnesses.

CARL SOHLIOKEYSEN.

Witnesses:

WOLDEMAR HAUPT, HENRY HASPER. 

